Kevin Durant Injury Update: Brooklyn Nets hopeful the MVP candidate will return after a short period of rehabilitation

Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant has been diagnosed with a sprained medial collateral in his left knee. He suffered an injury during the second quarter of the game against the New Orleans Pelicans.

He checked out of the game after playing 12 minutes and 22 seconds and didn't return to the floor. Before heading to the locker room, Durant had 12 points, three rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block in his limited minutes of action in the Nets' 120-105 win.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Brooklyn Nets believe he will require a four-to-six-week rehabilitation period before returning. Durant is the frontrunner for the NBA MVP award as of right now and his absence is certainly going to affect the Brooklyn Nets' season moving forward.

Analyzing how Kevin Durant's absence will affect the Brooklyn Nets

James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets

The Brooklyn Nets have star power outside of Kevin Durant, with James Harden and Kyrie Irving, so they can certainly still rack up wins. However, the Nets will be weary of how things have gone this season as teams have been suffering from the COVID-19 protocols. This has seen multiple players missing roughly three to four games as a result.

Additionally, Kyrie Irving is only eligible to play in road games and will be available for just half the matchups going forward. Unless he gets the vaccine or agrees to pay hefty fines, he will not be allowed to step on the floor in his home arena.

Moreover, James Harden is struggling this season because of the new NBA rules around foul-baiting. He is averaging 22.7 points per game, the lowest mark of his career in his last 12 seasons, while shooting just 41% from the field and 33% from three-point range. Although he is averaging 10 dimes a game, he will need to become more of a scorer than a playmaker from now until Durant returns.

Joe Harris underwent surgery on his left ankle, ruling him out for the rest of the season while players like Nicolas Claxton and LaMarcus Aldridge have been constantly in and out of the lineup. Blake Griffin has fallen out of the main rotation and isn't contributing at a high level. One positive sign is the presence of Patty Mills, with the veteran stepping to the fore off the bench.

The Brooklyn Nets take on the LA Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz and several other top teams in the coming days. They need to execute the "next man up" mentality in their upcoming tough encounters or else they risk falling further down the Eastern Conference standings.